German brand is preparing to reveal its new four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

VW readying new engines

German brand is preparing to reveal its new four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

VW readying new engines

27 Jan 2016Greg Kable

The Volkswagen Group will seek to move beyond the emission software manipulation scandal that has seen it recall over 11 million cars globally and face the prospect of tens of billions of dollars in fines from various authorities as well as compensation to disgruntled customers by revealing plans for a new generation of four-cylinder engines later this year.

Set to be made public at the Vienna Motor Symposium in late April, the new petrol and diesel units are scheduled to go into production at Volkswagen Group manufacturing plants from 2017 onwards, according to a senior Wolfsburg official familiar with the German car maker's future engine strategy.

Conceived around the latest direct injection petrol and common rail diesel processes and what is described as a modular aluminium crankcase, the new engines are initially planned to share a common 1.5-litre capacity and will be employed in a wide range of Audi, Skoda, Seat and Volkswagen models, possibly starting with the facelifted Volkswagen Golf.

At this stage it is unclear whether the Volkswagen Group will unveil the engines in detail at the Vienna Motor Symposium, or whether it will follow the example taken by its engineers in recent years by revealing simplified single cylinder concepts of the new units outlining their inner workings and combustion properties.

The new turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is planned to replace the Volkswagen Group's existing turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder powerplant, bringing what one insider described to Wards Auto as the potential for added torque qualities due to the moderate increase in capacity.

On the diesel side, the new turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder oilburner is planned to supersede the controversial turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder at the middle of Volkswagen's dieselgate scandal.

Among the technical developments said to be included on the new engines is a cylinder on demand (COD) system for the petrol unit and a selective catalytic reduction system (SRC) for the diesel.